Potential of lactic acid bacteria to reduce the growth ofFusarium culmorum in the malting process.

25 microorganisms were used for tested for their potential to reduce growth of toxigenic and gushing-activeFusarium culmorum strains during the malting process. Twelve isolates were found to substantially decrease the growth ofF. culmorum under the conditions applied.

A novel technique to measure total IgM and IgG in vitro haemolysin production by mouse spleen cells, using 51Cr-labelled sheep red blood cells.

A quantitative method for measuring in vitro production of IgM and IgG haemolysis is described. Immune mouse spleen cells, 51Cr-labelled sheep red blood cells, guinea pig complement and--where applicable--rabbit anti-mouse gammaglobulin serum are incubated in the fluid phase at 37 degrees C, and the degree of chromium release measured in the supernatant. The assay gives reproducible results which compare well with the numbers of plaque-forming cells obtained in the conventional plaque-forming assay.

Radioimmunoassay for non-suppressible insulin-like activity.

By immunizing rabbits--tolerant against the bulk of normal human serum proteins--with highly purified non-suppressible insulin-like activity (NSILA-S), an antiserum was obtained which made possible the development of a double-antibody radioimmunoassay. Its sensitivity is about 30 pg NSILA-S per tube or 150 pg NSILA-S/ml. The specificity exceeds that of the bioassay used for comparison which is based in the stimulation by NSILA-S of 125IUDR incorporation into chicken fibroblasts in culture.

Nonsuppressible insulin-like activity in rat organs as detected by fluorescent antibody and radioimmunoassay techniques.

NSILA-S was localized by immunofluorescent antibody staining in the exocrine part of the pancreas and the submaxillary salivary gland of the rat, where part of the cells give positive reactions. To a lesser degree it was demonstrated in the kidney, where some--probably the actually functioning--nephrons give positive staining reactions within their tubular cells. Radioimmunoassayable NSILA-S was found in extracts of the pancreas (120-550 ng/g), of the submaxillary salivary gland (220-330 ng/g) and of the kidney (45 ng/g), whereas liver (and some other organs) contain practically no NSILA-S.